Blink Twice
by peiot
Summary: Add a dash of obsession, a sprinkle of boredom, a teaspoon of time, a hearty serving of homeless plot bunnies. Now mix in Young Justice fangirl-ism and mildly edit. Serve cold, with a dollop of insanity on top. Drabble/Ficlet Dump  Warning mucho Spitfire
1. Simply

Written for 1000umbrella's Drabble-athon, Day 3. Just chucking it to the world wide web ;)

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><p><strong>Title: <strong>Simply

**Author: **Back2PlanB (RebellaShadow)

**Prompt:** "It freaks me out when I think about how big the universe is. Just so big and growing bigger, exploding outwork constantly in all directions. So no, I don't care how fast I was going, officer."

**Rating/Warnings: **T. Angsty fluff and character death. (Angsty fluff, how did I manage that?)

**Word Count: **691

**Character(s): **Future!Wally, Future!Artemis

**Pairing(s): **Spitfire [duh]

**Summary:** A last minute death calls for a last minute goodbye.

**Author's Notes: **Actually, this was a real letter I wrote to a certain someone, meaning for it never to be sent, but after I saw the prompt, I knew I _had_ to alter it for Spitfire purposes. It sounds a little disjointed and awkward to me, that usually happens when my own emotions end up in my writing.

Dear Arty,

Long time, no see, no? I'm not sure whether it's funny or weird how I know you well enough to be sure you are glaring the shit out of this letter. Hey Harpy, just a head's up, but your concentrating face is scary as hell.

Now that you're thoroughly mad at me, I guess it'd be best for me to explain why I actually am writing this. And no, it's not _just_ to make your day that much more unbearable.

_You_ are probably at home with a new boyfriend, maybe you even just got off patrol. Well, for your information,_ I'm_ in space. In a Justice League battle ship. Hurtling towards certain death on an alien planet.

It's almost ironic if you think about it - the first time we said goodbye was when Uncle Barry died in battle and I had to leave the team to become the Flash. Now, here I am, seven years later, about to repeat history. I'm not generally one for such deep analogies, you know, but I thought I would give it one last shot.

Now, I don't want to make you jealous, Blondie, but just because we haven't spoken in years doesn't mean I didn't stay in contact with most of the old "team." An email, a text, maybe a lunch. The first question doesn't hurt at all. How's life?

The second, which I never can untie my tongue enough to explain, is "girls?" Most of the time, I laugh, shrug, maybe ramble about my last fling, but they know exactly what buttons to press.

Us?

Typical me, I try to deny it, but they really don't buy in. Hell, not even I buy it. And you probably knew even before I did.

For once (probably mostly because I'm zooming at light speed to my demise) I'm going to drop the game. Come out and say it. We…had tension. Potential.

I'm not one for pointing fingers, but honestly, I want to blame you for coming into my heart so unexpectedly.

I fought it for a while. I would purposefully avoid you. You probably didn't notice though because my resolve would shatter and crumble the second you let slip a sassy remark. She-devil, I would think, roping me into heated arguments neither of us could seem to win.

Slowly, over the weeks, the months, I fell into a pattern that was so easy to bear. I came to expect you, need you, fight you, and on days I dared to think about it, live and breathe you, only then to deny you. Deny to M'gann, Rob, Kaldur, anyone and everyone who cornered me got the half-assed version. The version where I wasn't head over heels, the version where we were just barely "friends", and how it most certainly wasn't like that.

There were moments we came close. I expect you to know that. Moments when you were a sweet breath away, when in that second I wanted nothing more than to hold you as close as possible, throw caution to the wind and make you understand how much I was feeling.

But I never did, and I would go home and lie in bed, not even sad, because it didn't take me long to realize the bitter truth. We were us, and nothing more. I didn't get close, because we ourselves are too far. I decided I would rather keep you an arms length away, because honestly, I didn't want to get over you. I'm not sure I even could. To this day - I haven't.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - you're my coulda, woulda shoulda. The forever unfulfilled hurt that I will keep with me forever.

I'm sorry it took me this long to admit it. I'm sorry for the years of silent treatment, for the hostile reunions, for not being braver sooner, and not giving us a shot. But I was afraid I forgot how to live without the ache in my heart I have slowly learned to call by your name.

I would say goodbye, and thank you for everything, but that's too painful, so…

Simply, Wally.

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><p>Um, that was a bit more depressing then most of what is to come. Review anyways? x_x<p> 


	2. In the Name of Progress

Written for The Young Justice Fandom Fic/Art exchange. Had a lot of fun, and I think Cloaks enjoyed it.

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><p><em><strong>Merry Christmas, cloaksanddaggers8! ()3<strong> _

_**Title: **In the Name of Progress _

_**Rating/Warnings: **T for language and violence _

_**Word Count: **~6200 _

_**Character(s): **The team, Batman, Sportsmaster, mention of the Flash and Red Tornado _

_**Pairing(s): **Wally/Artemis (Spitfire) _

_**Summary: **A note to speedsters: slow and steady still wins the race to her heart._

_**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but Mr. Igor Kenneth. Not that he's good for much anyway._

_**Author's Notes: **This is one of those plot bunnies that run rabid and OOC, despite not knowing what to do with them. A bit longer than I had expected, but I hope you can enjoy all the same! :) Have a very Merry Christmas!_

_As with any adventure worth remembering, it started out in complete normalcy._

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><p>Their mission: covert.<p>

The Batman had been hearing dirty rumors about a museum curator in Philadelphia – a one Mr. Igor Kenneth. His picture and house address had been sent to all their phones. They were to confirm or deny the word on the street, trying to obtain physical evidence against the man if possible. In, out, no mess.

All else was carried out per usual as well. Megan flawlessly flew the bioship in camouflaged mode to just outside the city. Kaldur had pre-reassigned their specific roles, which catered seamlessly to their individual talents and expertise. Conner was silent and observant. Robin cracked bad grammar jokes for a while before going into mini-Bat mode.

And Artemis – was as abrasive, rude, and haughty as always.

Wally mashed furiously at his phone's slick keyboard, a distracted grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"…busy…now…meet me…after?…aaand, winky face," he muttered to himself, eyes only for the dim screen. He dropped the phone into his lap and stretched back in his seat in the bioship, a pleased smirk spraying the freckles on his face upwards.

From across the ship, Artemis shot him a glare.

"What poor, unfortunate soul are you harassing now?" she quipped, voice languid and only half-invested in the insult.

But Wally was too self satisfied to even be brought down by the harpy's words. He rolled his head to the side throw her lazy grin.

"New girl at school. New _hot_ girl, with an awesome smile. Who digs track and field jocks."

Artemis's expression suddenly soured, but her retort was interrupted by a classic cackle from Robin.

"Track and field jocks? Best one I've heard all day, Wally."

Wally's bottom lip protruded and he leaned forward to thrust his face defiantly in his friends direction.

"You know what's even better? Scrawny 13 year old troll-nerds who die alone and unloved."

Robin let burst anther peal of raucous laughter.

"Please, the ladies are all over this. They love the bad boys."

Wally made a ridiculous snorting noise, but at that moment, his phone sprang to life with a grating buzz. His hand caught up the vibrating device and slid it open eagerly, vibrant green eyes lighting up in the weak light.

"Lemme guess: she already had plans, but maybe '_sometime'_? Sorry Wallman, but that's girl talk for the nice let down." Artemis scoffed, folding her arms across her chest.  
>Wally's eye flicked right and left as he read the message, heedless of his teammates' scorn. As he reached the end of the second line, his grin widened.<p>

"Psh, no, she wants me to pick her up from her house."

His chest swelled with pride.

"Naturally," he added as an after thought, just realizing he might have sounded a bit too pleased. His gaze lingered on the screen, apathetic towards Robin's snickers and Artemis's glares.

Suddenly, he started, shoulders slumped and some of his macho melting away.

"Oh, before her curfew…8:00."

He lifted his head to glance forlornly at the setting sun's dying light, seeping in through the bioship's tinted windows.

"Think we can wrap this one up in an hour or two, eh Kaldy?" Wally pressed hopefully.

The Atlantean shook his head slowly, eyebrows furrowed.

"I think not, as it will most likely take us more than an hour to even confirm or deny or mission, and then we must return to Mount Justice for debriefing."

Wally threw his hands dramatically into the air and moaned.

"Ugh, come on! Why, universe, why?"

"Get your head out of your shorts and into the game!" Artemis snapped.

Wally narrowed his eyes.

"I happen to be perfectly concentrated on this mission!"

"More like concentrated on skipping out on us," growled Artemis, pivoting her torso to glare more directly at the speedster.

"No! I just want to help move it along quickly, what's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that, is you are going to be so worried about making your deadline, you'll screw up even more than usual!"

Wally pressed his tongue against his teeth, irked. He glowered vehemently for a moment's pause, before changing tactics and shaking his head with feigned dismay.

"You know what I think? You're jealous."

Her charcoal eyes widened in shock and disgust.

"Jealous of what exactly, _Bay_watch?"

"Jealous _I_ have a date while _you_ still have lifetime membership to the forever alone club!"

"Enough, you two!" intervened Kaldur harshly, face unusually grim.

Like misbehaving puppies, the two immediately sunk back into their seats, avoiding eye contact. Kaldur watched them, lips drawn in a thin line.

"Our first priority is _always _the mission. And neither social outings nor internal conflict serve that priority. While on missions, the entire team will uphold a professional civility, understood?"

Wally mumbled something incoherent and Artemis rolled her eyes.

"All of us," Kaldur added, glancing over his shoulder to exchange an almost tentative glance with Robin.

He and Megan nodded curtly in agreement, while Conner shrugged sullenly.

Wally slipped his phone into the pouch behind his seat and shot a venomous glare at Artemis, who gave him the middle finger behind Kaldur's back.

The niggling voice of reason in the back of Wally's mind cried out for him to not get himself in another lecture, so instead of reciprocating the rude gesture as he so wanted to, he clenched his teeth and turned away, just in time for Megan to start dipping in a descent towards the suspect's extensive backyard.

"Last stop, everybody off," said Megan just a tad too cheerfully for the thick atmosphere.

A perfect little hole appeared in the middle of the floor. Pushing his anger aside, Wally bounced out of his seat and onto the lawn behind the curator's mansion.

He paused to admire how the black of his suit mingled perfectly with the shadows, indistinguishable from the darkness save his pale skin and flaming red hair, which glowed in the gray light.

Megan was the last to float down, mentally closing the hatch without even a glance at her ship. Kaldur tapped his temple with an expectant glance to the martian. Megan glanced blankly at him for a moment, before slapping her own forehead and mouthing the familiar words 'Hello, Megan!'

Despite his foul mood, Wally couldn't help but smile ever so slightly at the alien's antics. She was incredibly cute, without even realizing it.

Megan raised two of her fingers and closed her eyes in concentration. Wally winced ever so slightly at the familiar, yet still bizarre, sensation of Megan's metaphorical fingers stitching their conciseness together. The link was established, and he shivered at the subtle flow of the group's emotions trickling down his spine.

Kaldur nodded to the group in general, as a signal to put their plan in action, before he and Robin darted away, rapidly lost in the oncoming darkness of twilight. Megan tilted the bishop in a take-off ready position and gestured to Artemis to follow.

She tightened her grip on her bow and jogged after the Martian, brushing past Wally.

"Don't screw up," she hissed under her breath, jabbing her elbow at his side as they touched.

Stifling a grunt, Wally stepped back and curled his upper lip at the archer's back, her long blonde hair swishing aggressively behind her.

"I hope you break your face when you run into something because you're too busy looking down your own nose!" he stage-whispered hotly after her. She stiffened and tossed a disgruntled look over her shoulder before she vanished into the foliage, leaving Wally feeling strangely unappeased.

"Argh!" he growled, turning on his heel and walking the opposite direction the girls had taken, not acknowledging Conner's raised eyebrow.

"Come on, Supey, let's just do this and get away from the harpy," he snapped as the clone didn't move after him.

He saw the other shrug ever so slightly out of the corner of his eyes before he jogged after Wally's brisk walk.

In a matter of minutes, they reached the north side of the grounds, the sun by now having already dipped below the horizon. Pink and gray rapidly faded from the expanse above them, replaced by darker hues of blue. They struggled their way as silently as they could through the undergrowth, heading towards the black silhouette of Igor Kenneth's mansion. Gradually, the young pines around them thinned, until Wally and Conner were forced to take stealthy darts from black shadow to black shadow.

Wally reached up to his goggles, fidgeting with the infrared setting, bringing the world into sharper focus. A quick glance around him confirmed there was no other living organism besides Supey on his left. Without further hesitation, he threw himself at the damp grass, neatly somersaulting over to the last refuge of cover provided by the young trees. Conner followed suit with a single bound, taking extra care not to shake the earth as he landed.

The two boys exchanged a glance before peering out from around the tree on either side, scrutinizing the back of the mansion. A wide, old fashioned porch belted the width of the place, which rose three stories into the air, Victorian style. The numerous wide sets of windows were black and empty, save an upper left room, which leaked harsh electric light onto the roof shingles.

Each using their respective vision abilities, they scanned the grounds for a few extra moments.

_"Infrared shows no guards on the perimeter or around the neighbors," _Wally thought into the link.

_"My X-ray can only penetrate the trees, but I'm only finding you guys."_Conner confirmed.

"_Burglary alarm iiiiis down."_ sang-thought Robin into the comn. It might have been Wally's imagination, or maybe he knew him too well, but he could actually feel the other boy's smug smirk through their brain connection.

_"Artemis, Miss Martian," _prompted Kaldur.

At their leader's words, a black form rose from the trees across the property, gliding through the air swiftly until it hovered above the roof. Megan released Artemis, who ninja-rolled neatly onto the surface, before hopping up and sprinting after the soaring martian. Without missing a beat. Megan shifted into camouflage mode, and Artemis slunk into the shadows of the building, but Wally's infrared kept them in his vision.  
>Their two red streaks paused in front of a window, before it slid noiselessly open and the girls vanished from sight.<p>

A couple seconds later, Artemis's grating voice confirmed what he already knew.

"_In_."

Wally pulled a face, but for Kaldur's sake, made no commentary. Conner rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath that would have required super-hearing to understand. Not particularly keen to be smart-assed, Wally didn't push the issue.

_"Going in."_

A warm, Robin-sized body flipped out of a tree and scuttled in through the open window.

Wally let loose a sigh and fidgeted against the rough bark. Okay, okay, Rob and Miss M one upped him on the ninja aspect, and the harpy was probably more accustomed to sneaking around and ruining lives than him, but sitting still and being the lookout was not his forte. He snapped his fingers idly, the rough pads of his gloves blurring together at super speed.

_"Basement is locked,"_ chirped Miss Martian's sweet voice, "_I'm going to have to unlock it to see what's down there."_

_"Proceed,"_ commanded Kaldur smoothly. Hell, they had already broken and entered, picking a lock didn't dig their hole much deeper.

_"First floor is empty. Well, of people, it's cram packed with furniture. Doesn't seem like the kind of stuff a museum curator could afford…"_reported Robin. Wally didn't doubt him - the boy wonder definitely had spent enough time around the posh upper class to guess price tags.

_"There…there are people up here, I can hear voices," _rasped Artemis, "_Oh, shit! Ungh."_

Wally and Conner simultaneously straightened at the tone of panic in her thoughts. A hot flash of fury swept over him as he remembered her taunting words.

'Don't screw up' she had scoffed. And what the hell was she doing now?

"_Artemis?" _Kaldur and Megan queried in sync.

_"No, I'm fine, they just opened the door. I'm hiding next door now. It's a meeting…five, six guys? And, uh, they don't sound like they're planning a Monet exhibit…"_

Megan's easily recognizable gasp made them all jump again.

_"Oh! More Kobra venom! Lots and lots…this whole place is filled with Kobra venom!"_

_"But what would a museum curator be doing with Kobra venom?" _ Wally spoke up, gesturing a hand in disbelief, despite Conner being the only one to witness the motion.

_"They have names from all over Earth printed on them…" _Megan trailed off.

_"This must be their safe house! Storage before being shipped off to their final destination. Disguised as works of art - no one would suspect a thing!"_Robin exclaimed.

_"All right, this means we have confirmed that Mr. Kenneth is indeed mixed up with the wrong side of the law. Everyone, to the—"_

Kaldur's voice stuttered and came to a stop as a surge of Artemis's panic consumed the link.

_"My - Sportsmaster is here, oh God, he's seen me!"_

Without the aid of the mind link, or even Supey's hearing, Wally could hear several male voices raised in rage coming from the lit room. A feminine shadow darted across the frame, before the light was hit and the silhouettes vanished.

Artemis's mind was blank of coherent thought, filled with adrenaline and primal instincts. Wally's own muscles tensed as her leaked emotions pumped him full of energy. Unable to stand still another moment, he didn't wait for Kaldur's command and instead rushed to the action.

_"Artemis?" _mind-shouted someone, but Wally was to focused on super-speeding up the side of the house to pay attention to whom.

Loud shouts and angry voices bellowed from the second floor, and Wally wasted no time in dashing to the fight.

He wheeled into the room, filled with angry-looking, burly men as far as he could see.

For a horrifying second, none of his teammates sprang into view, until he heard sharp cry of pain from Robin. His eyes alight on his friend, who was surrounded by five of the goons. He fell from mid-jump, mask holes narrowed into slits, one hand flying to his knee, which was already gushing with blood from a bullet-wound.

Without missing a beat, the crooks advanced in, all guns raised to blow his best friend's brains out.

Rage and panic like Wally had never known consumed him, and without thinking, he charged the goons for all he was worth. They toppled like dominoes into the wall, a few firing their hand guns in surprise, the bullets safely embedded in the ceiling.

"Don't. You. Dare!" he half-screeched, accentuating each word with a punch to the guy at top of the pile, but their combined strength already threw the furious redhead off of them. Robin staggered to his feet, putting no weight on his injured knee, and with his free hand, he flung several well aimed bird-a-rangs at their head. Two dropped back to the carpet, knocked out.

Wally quickly disarmed the other three, chucking the filthy guns as far as he could out of the open window.

A feminine gasp from the other side of the room confirmed that Artemis was present as well, and a soaring javelin above her head verified it was Sportsmaster she was fighting. However, Wally's concentration was already claimed.

"Dude," Wally gasped, heart still pounding as he turned on Robin, who wobbled unstably.

The boy wonder shook his head fiercely.

"Not now, finish this!" he grunted.

Suddenly, the three un-armed crooks rose into the air, where they started flailing in panic, only to be slammed back down to the floor, and out of the window. Wally and Robin looked up to see Megan flicker out of camouflaged mode, her mouth a round 'o' of horror at the sight of Robin, his black-clad leg soaked crimson.

Seeing his friends' faces, Robin again shook his head harshly.

"No! He missed the joint, I'll be fine!"

"Take him to the bioship! I'll finish here!" Wally ordered harshly.

Megan nodded mutely, and with a combination of telekinesis and her arm underneath his shoulders, lifted the protesting boy into the air and retreated.

Worry temporarily appeased, but temper still raging, Wally refocused to see Artemis planting a well aimed kick at Sportsmaster's face, but the villain simply grabbed her ankle and wrenched her from the air. Wally winced in sympathy pain as Artemis's face was introduced to the plush carpet.

"What were you saying about screwing up?" he shouted at his teammate as he launched himself as a human canon ball at Sportsmaster.

_"Aqualad, Superboy: Robin's been injured - I'm bringing him to the bioship." _interjected Megan into their minds.

_"I'll meet you there. Kid, Artemis?"_

_"We got this!" _Artemis thought savagely, _"Take care of Robin!"_

Wally's throat tensed, and although the logical part of his mind screamed for him to not pin the blame of Robin's injury on Artemis, the rest of him that held a grudge against the archer wailed that it was indeed her fault for blowing their cover and forcing his friend to rush to her aid.

Artemis pulled herself up, and handsprung backwards to gain distance from Sportsmaster and Mr. Kenneth. With the swift ease of practice, she notched and let an arrow fly, pinning the corrupted museum curator with his clothing against the wall. Shaking aside his worry for Robin and his probably irrational anger towards Artemis, Wally threw a series of punches at Sportsmaster, picking up speed as he slid into his groove. Black Canary's intense training kicked in and suddenly, Sportsmaster took a heavy left hook and stumbled back.

His brown eyes, the only part of his face visible, narrowed.

"You kids have been practicing," he observed, dangerously calm.

For some reason unknown to Wally, this seemed to rile Artemis up, because she took an incredibly desperate shot. Naturally, she missed and Wally was forced to duck to avoid getting shot in the face. He threw her a 'wtf' look in response, before they both sprung in for hand-to-hand combat.

Still radiating a disturbing calm, Sportsmaster glided beneath Wally's punch and knocked Artemis's legs out from underneath her. He straightened again as Wally shot an irked face at Artemis.

_"What is wrong with you? Get your head in the game!" _he snapped at her via mind-link, not caring the rest of the team would be concerned.

Artemis bared her teeth at him, before flying again Sportsmaster, knuckles flinging blood across the room.

"What's wrong, little girl? Your little boyfriend showing you up?"

Wally was too mesmerized by the fury that seized Artemis to deny the villain's assumption.

In a hypnotically violent dance, the two blonds maneuvered across the room, Artemis still driven by pure emotion, while Sportsmaster casually evaded the girl's onslaught.  
>He opened his mouth to call out for Artemis to calm herself, when an instant headache rudely interrupted him. Head ringing form the blow, he turned to see Mr. Kenneth, freed from Artemis's arrow, holding one of Sportsmaster's javelins.<p>

"Who the hell do you kids think you are?" the heavy-set man bellowed.

Sportsmaster looked up at his ally, before his brown eyes suddenly widened at this sight of the weapon in his hands.

"Idiot, no!" he snarled, kicking Artemis to the side as if she was a rag doll, and lunging for his weapon.

Kenneth paid no heed, and again lifted the javelin to strike out at Wally. Wally gaped in confusion, before a flashing red light at the tip caught his eye, and the pieces fell into place.

It was a trick javelin, rigged to explode. And in this small of a space, they would all be fried.

Super speed instincts took over, and before he was thinking clearly, Wally was gripping Artemis's forearm for dear life, hauling them towards the door. Her cry of pain was cut short by a thundering explosion, her bruised arm wrenched from his grip, burning heat at his back, and the world blackened.

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><p>With hind sight, Wally realized that they'd been out for mere minutes, but when he actually came to, the amount of pain was in was enough to dull his thinking capacity.<br>The musty smell of old carpet wafted into his nostrils, and he rolled over coughing. He regretted it instantly, as he ribs and lungs ached in protest, so he lay still for a moment, taking in the smoke-stained ceiling above him.

_Artemis_

The name appeared in his mind as clearly as if someone had placed it. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Wally sat up to see he had not only been thrown clear of the room, but down the hall and into the end of the corridor.

Warm, sticky blood trickled from his nose and lip, burns covered his back, and it felt like someone had yanked his arm out of its socket, beaten him with it, and then screwed it back in the wrong way.

And Artemis was no where in sight.

The sick taste of bile rose in his throat as the unspeakable came to mind. She… she couldn't be… dead.

_Again?_ whispered a nagging voice that sounded peculiarly like a mixture of Black Canary and Kent Nelson.

No… no, he had lived. She had lived. She was too stubborn to die.

She wouldn't.

He laboriously pulled himself to his feet, experimentally flexed everything, only to confirm his hypothesis. He was bruised, burnt, and bleeding pretty much everywhere, and his arm was probably dislocated.

He pawed through his own consciousness, searching for the link, but was unsurprised when he turned up empty-handed. Figured that he'd be disconnected when he blacked out.

Wincing, he jogged down the hall, lost in the maze of the second floor. Nothing was unscathed - all the windows blown to bits, places of the floor were still on fire, holes from flying furniture had been blasted through the walls. But still, no Artemis, no Sportsmaster, and no Ke—

Wally stopped abruptly in front of the room that had suffered the most damage. He had to blink twice to recognize the charred space as the room they had been brawling in. And, on the floor - dressed in a fine suit, face upturned, lay the museum curator.  
>Wally entered cautiously, ash crunching beneath his feet, still on the lookout for Sportsmaster, but a sweep of the deserted room clearly showed it to be empty. Advancing a little further, he stopped in front of the motionless form.<p>

Of course, it wasn't the first dead body Wally had seen. This job ensured that. But still, as he gazed down at the crumpled form, the man's eyes glazed over and staring sightlessly in the after life, the odor of burnt flesh filling his nostrils, something deep in Wally's stomach clenched.

Where was Artemis?

He lost himself panic, before a steadily increasing sharp noise brought him back to his senses.

His head jerked up at the sound of chopping helicopter blades. Instantly refocused, he wormed his way through one of the massive holes in the wall to the front of the mansion and rapidly limped over to the window, which had been shattered moments before by the bomb. The glass shards and wooden frame still smoked and smoldered as he peeked cautiously around it to see that, indeed, a helicopter loomed outside, the local TV channel logo printed on it's side. Police cars were already assembled outside, red and blue lights strobbing across the frosty winter sky. Wally jumped backwards as the flash of cameras reflected in his goggles, scurrying sideways along the wall, cursing every chemical compound he could think of.

Of all nights for their covert team to be caught by the media, it would have to be tonight, while supposed civilian blood was still pooling all over the floor.

Wally jumped again, hackles raised as a loud boom thundered in from the floor below. Shouts and stomping feet accompanied the crash, and Wally muttered a few, select foul words under his breath. The police, who had knocked open the front door, began to storm their way up what was left of the stair case.

Desperate not to be caught next door to the body, Wally put on a burst of speed back through the wall, all the adrenaline in his body screaming for him to move, and get out of this mess, when a bright blob of yellow distracted him.

Finally, Artemis, hair tangled and falling loose over her shoulders, kneeling next to Kenneth, her petite face twisted in an odd mixture of remorse and disgust.

She was there. Over the body, broken and bleeding, completely unaware of his, or the police's, presence.

Time slowed.

He could have kept going. He almost did too, when a flash back of her pearly white bones dissolving in the snow appeared in his mind's eye.

And without a second thought, the brakes came on.

As a matter of fact, he stopped more abruptly then he had intended, tangling shards of carpet and wood under his confused feet and face-planting next to her. She yelped and jumped backwards, eyes wide with surprise. Some dazed part of his mind noted how she favored her right side, which sported a massive, deep gash upon second glance.  
>Without explanation, or apology, although he would have given almost anything for the chance to, he scooped her up bridal style, ignoring the stabbing throb in his arm, and ran for the pair of ruined French doors at the end of the hall.<p>

Artemis didn't have time or breath to protest, instead clawing at his spandex-covered chest like a wild animal, words lost in her confusion. Wally paid no heed, mentally shaking his head at his soft heart and her hard head.

The crashes grew closer, and Artemis's struggle paused in further confusion. Loud stomping echoed in his ears, but a light sense of relief filled Wally as he reached the shattered doors that led to a balcony. They were home free, just to scamper down the roof, and hide themselves in the shadows.

They were a blur above the door frame, when a voice stopped him in his tracks.  
>"HOLD IT, RIGHT TH - ere…Flash Boy?"<p>

The hot adrenaline flooding his veins switched a 180, chilling his veins in disappointment. It was done - caught red handed. If he left now, after being recognized, he would only be digger a deeper grave for himself.

He could see the headlines now, "Flash Junior flees crime scene - good boy gone bad?"  
>Artemis went rigid in his arms, her face turned up at him, mouth slack in shock. They locked eyes as he came to a stop, green meet gray in a heavily blank stare before he realized that he still hadn't addressed the officers behind them - and that they hadn't seen Artemis from this angle.<p>

They hadn't seen her.

No hesitation, he practically threw her out onto the balcony, roughly shoving her away from him.

"It's Kid Flash!" he said, perhaps just a little too loudly, spinning around and positioning himself in front of the shattered door to hide Artemis's stumbling form.

"Ugh, you guys are killing me, it's really not that hard!" he continued to complain as Artemis hissed his name, bewildered.

But the officers didn't seem to notice her. A few began to lower their guns as a vague looks of recognition crossed their countenances, but the Chief didn't remove his intense flashlight from Wally, or the grim look from his face.

Wally squinted in the bright light, but held his ground, determined to cover his teammate until she had the common sense to get out of there.

But no, the cops advanced further in, and all she did was again hiss his name in growing panic. Wally resisted rolling his eyes, instead discreetly flicking his hand in a motion for her to hurry the hell out of there.

"Whatcha ya doing all the way out here, kiddo?" drawled the Chief, his bright light never wavering from Wally's pained eyes, "Aren't you supposed to be in Central City?"

Wall swallowed thickly, ear pricked for sounds of Artemis's escape, but her muffled breathing remained behind him.

Problemo numero uno: What was she waiting for?

"Oh, um, you know chasing some baddies, checking up on explosions…" Wally fumbled, shrugging infinitesimally.

Problemo numero dos: He had sold all of his scapegoats. Every last one.

"Chief!" hollered a random cop, poking his head out of a room down the hall, "There's a body! We'll have to get it identified, but it appears to be Mr. Kenneth."

The Chief's beady little eyes narrowed.

"What happened, boy? Where's your mentor? Does he know you are here?"

"Um, well, he's actually not with me this time…some, er, solo work. And of course he does!" he stuttered, losing both his staged confidence and the Chief's trust with every word from his mouth.

As discreetly as possible while having six policemen shine high beam flashlights into your face while interrogating you, Wally stretched his arm backward to grope at the air behind him, feeling for Artemis, but praying she wasn't there.

His knees almost collapsed with relief as his gloved fingers swept through the empty air.

She was gone, safe. And now he could devote his full attention to not getting his ass detained in a jail cell.

* * *

><p>"Of <em>course <em>he would land his ass in a jail cell," Artemis groaned, dragging her scorched mask off her face, "He's just _that _talented."

She fixed the piece of green material with a hard glare. Quite honestly, she felt sick. Physically sick to her stomach.

Fueled by a fit of emotion, she flung the tattered scrap to the med bay's linoleum floor.  
>From his position on a hospital bed, Robin blandly blinked at her behind dark shades.<br>Artemis spared him a sidelong glance, but when not a single muscle of his face moved, she groaned.

Wincing as her tender burns rubbed against her bandages, she straddled the chair by his bedside.

Robin continued to watch her silently, while slowly, the beginnings of a devilish smirk played along his lips.

"How's your knee?" she blurted out, purely for distraction purposes. The whole team had known the news the moment Megan had come rushing in from the med bay, joyfully declaring he would recover 100%.

He shrugged.

"I was right, missed the kneecap. I'll walk again. Might not have if it had been an inch lower."

Artemis shuddered despite herself. The very thought that Robin - agile, free spirited Robin - might have been confined to a wheelchair disturbed her.

Yet another disaster that she could have prevented, if she had been on top of her game.  
>She ran a hand through her unruly blonde hair, filled with the lingering scent of smoke.<p>

"You're worried for him," Robin observed quietly, suddenly. Not questioned, not guessed, he simply knew.

Her heart performed a writhing squirm, but she met his eyes all the same, watched his face split into a impish grin at the look on hers.

"Honestly, it doesn't surprise me it took Wally getting arrested, me getting shot, and a baddie blowing himself up for you to comes to terms," he quipped.

Artemis narrowed her eyes resentfully.

"Come to terms with what, Boy Blunder?"

Robin let loose a cackle.

"Pulling out the pet names - I've touched a nerve."

Artemis let a breath slide from between her teeth, both anticipating and horrified for Robin to put into words what her mind wouldn't form.

But he didn't. He dipped his head to the side, tauntingly, one slender eyebrow cocked.

"Still can't say it, can you?"

Artemis averted her eyes, disturbed by his uncanny method of reading her like a book.  
>Robin's smirk softened slightly, while his steady gaze bore into her soul. Artemis twisted uncomfortably in seat, wishing Batman would arrive already so she could sign off of nurse duty.<p>

"You…I…he…you don't understand," she finally managed, scuffing her boot along the floor.

"Don't I?"

Embarrassment blossoming in her chest, she threw him a hard glare. Robin pursed his lips.

"He'll forgive you."

The seconds in which she didn't respond were heavy in her ears, the gnawing pit of guilt in her stomach flared up, and a tight ball of repressed emotion she dared not give a name surfaced, before her walls broke and she buried her head in her arms.

He could tell. He might as well see her shattering shell.

"How?" she murmured, voice muffled, somehow managing to summarize all of her emotions and worries into a single word.

"Because he cares. Might not always seem that way, but his actions always did speak louder than his words."

He chuckled.

"And that's saying something."

Artemis shoulders slumped, her heart cracking just a shard more. Another silence filled the air, but somehow it felt tranquil rather than despondent. She sat perfectly still listening to the erratic sounds of her own heart, while Robin quietly examined the bandages Black Canary had administered.

Several more minutes passed, before a sudden chill in the room brought her attention form the floor. Her nerves were unprepared for Batman to have just appeared at Robin's bedside, with a murderous glower that would have sent a villain running for the back of a cop car.

Robin somehow managed to meet his mentor's eye without disintegrating into ash.

"Uh, hey ya, Batman…"

Wordlessly, the Dark Knight lifted his protégé into his arms with a tenderness that both shocked and touched Artemis, before delivering a final glare and disappearing down the hall. Even with Robin's weight, the only noise he made was the subtle swoosh of his cape as he rounded the corner and melded into the darkness of the cavern.

* * *

><p>As expected, the media had a field day. The headlines for the next two days ran as such all over the east coast.<p>

"Flash Junior imposter arrested?"

"Flash Boy rebels?"

"Sullying the name of speedster?"

When finally, the combined forces of celebrated Wayne lawyers, witness accounts of a fleeing masked blond man, and the Flash's reputation finally had all charges against the sidekick dropped, secret identity in tact.

Watching the 11 o' clock news, Artemis caught a glimpse of the Flash, Batman, and Red Tornado shepherding him to a car, still in his scorched stealth suit. His head was lowered against the cameras while his mentor murmured something into his ear, before hugging him.

Her innards contorted at the sliver of a grin Wally cracked before sliding out of view behind tinted windows. Uneven sure why, Artemis nabbed the remote and turn the ghastly thing off.

She massaged her face with both hands, blissfully surrounded by the silence of her living room. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she'd face him. He'd taunt her, play up the victim, demand thanks…and she'd give it. He could be a stubborn ass, but it was the least he deserved.

So when he appeared at the cave the next day, hands in his pockets and unwilling to meet her eyes, you might say she was confounded.

As the computer loudly announced his presence, the entire team turning from sparring to greet him. He shuffled forward, hesitant and uncertain.

"Hey, it's our little jail bird!" called Robin, waving a crutch happily.

"Wally!" squeed Megan, rushing over to him, hands clasped.

"You know not what a relief it is to see you again," breathed Kaldur, stepping away from Artemis to clap him on the shoulder.

"I take it you missed me?" he chuckled, bro-fisting Robin and flashing a cheeky grin to Conner.

"Dude, your knee?"

"I told you, it's fine! Would everyone just get traught already?"

Artemis lagged behind the rest as they crowded the speedster, her heart beating rapidly.

Amidst the bubbling conversation, she somehow caught Robin's eye, who smirked knowingly and hobbled back a step or two, bringing her into the circle.

To her horror, Wally's grin faltered as he met her eyes, one hand flying automatically to awkwardly scratch the back of his head.

"Hey, uh, Arty…" he squawked, clearly uncomfortable, but for the life of her, Artemis couldn't understand why.

"Hi…nice to…have you…back. Yeah."

"Wow, you guys are bad at this," observed Conner, the words flying out of his mouth without a filter.

Wally scowled and moved to punch him in the arm. Not the wisest of decisions, considering him to be the Boy of Steel and all. He yelped and pulled back, shaking his hand.

Despite herself, Artemis managed a chuckle, reverting to their old groove in the face of awkwardness.

"Same old Kid Brainless, huh?"

Wally's shoulders relaxed and he met her gaze.

"Aaaand, same old nagging Harpy."

Artemis rolled her eyes, but not without humor.

"Whatever, Baywatch."

She grit her teeth, remembering her resolve the night before.

"I just…wanted to say…you know. Thanks."

Artemis might have an imagination, but it certainly wasn't strong enough to paint that particular shade of red on his face.

"Yeah…ahem, I mean, anytime."

Megan squealed, flying higher up in the air.

"It's just so cute!" she burst out in a sing-songy voice.

"Megan!" Artemis complained loudly, covering her eyes with one hand.

"You sure are, Babe!" Wally called up to the spinning martian, face still glowing, but flirty smile in place.

Artemis would have to make a mental note to thank Robin for the smack across the head he delivered to him.

"Don't backtrack progress, Kid Stupid!"

* * *

><p>More Spitfire *shurg* What can I say? OTP!<p>

Reviews? :D


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